One of the most notable media phenomena of the past year has been
the presence of Twilight - at the box office, in bookstores (and
clothing stores), on the internet, in countless magazines and
newspapers, and on television. At the forefront of discourse
surrounding the book series and film adaptation were claims of
astonishment that a media product targets at, and consumed primarily
by, teen girls and young women could be so successful. Yet, people
in the know - researchers, media critics, and audiences who
remembered that Titanic was raised to blockbuster status by young
women and girls - repeatedly contended that the only people
surprised by the success of Twilight were male media producers and
critics who continue to ignore or discount girl culture.
This course is designed to take an in-depth examination of Twilight
as a starting point from which to explore contemporary media
targeted at girls and to examine the culture of girl-produced media
through the lens of Girl Studies, an area of interdisciplinary
research that has grown steadily over the last decade. We will read
articles and books that critically examine girls as producers and
consumers, as well as analyze media texts that are targeted at
girls. Immersion in Girl Studies also calls for reading articles in
popular magazines and newspapers in order to understand the public
discourse that critiques, discusses, and often dismisses girls.